B2 – Upper Intermediate
As the world continues developing in this day and age, digital devices and tools become more and more common. Recently, electronic shelf labels have begun spreading more rapidly in North American grocery stores, increasing consumers’ concerns about dynamic pricing.
If companies can change the price of their products easily with digital price tags, will prices of products become higher for certain individuals, or will it be used to lower the prices of products near expiry?
To learn more, watch the video below.
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “dynamic pricing” mean? “Some lawmakers fear that electronic shelf labels (ESLs) will lead to dynamic pricing that could hurt consumers.” Use this term in a sentence. Give a similar expression.
- What does “year over year growth” mean? “It’s definitely an industry that is looking at significant double digit year over year growth for the foreseeable future.” Use this term in a sentence.
- What is “a devil’s advocate”? “There’s definitely a strong devil’s advocate argument to be made that having some sort of surge pricing in those kind of contexts would actually be useful because it discourages hoarding.” Use this idiom in a sentence and give a synonym.
Discussion Questions:
- What are the promises and pitfalls of electronic shelf labels? Do you believe that electronic shelf labels and digital price tags will influence companies to use dynamic pricing?
- How is dynamic pricing good and bad? You may cite examples.
- Do you think consumers are more likely to benefit or suffer from ESLs? Share your insights.
- In your opinion, should more big companies be switching to electronic shelf labels? Why or why not?